A Stumble or a Fall?
by BSwan.N
Summary: Tyler is lost. Still struggling with his elder brother's suicide, he finds himself stumbling, not knowing what to do. One night out in New York City has him stumbling around for a girl. A broken, but beautiful girl who he barely knew, yet something about her had him hoping, wishing that he'd meet her again. Fate was something he never believed in until that cafe. Until her.
1. Prologue

**Starting a new fanfiction was sooo not on my to do list. Believe me. But this story just would not go away. **

**It's not Bella and Edward. But it's two characters who I absolutely love and whose personalities and stories I have been wanting to merge for a while now. **

**I'm currently looking for a Beta for this fic, so, if you know someone who would be willing to edit my work, please, send them over to my page to message me. I'm also looking for a prereader. Any offers. Experience in these areas and constructive criticism is something I'm looking for but please message me!**

**Right, this is probably my first human, angsty, problematic fanfiction I've written so I would love to hear what you think.**

**Disclaimer: All characters and original storylines belong to their appropriate owners. Even if I wished that these two were mine. Especially Tyler ;)**

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**Summary**

Tyler is lost. Still struggling with his elder brother's suicide and his father's constant distancing, he finds himself stumbling, not knowing what to do. One night out in New York City has him stumbling around for a girl. A broken, but beautiful girl who he spoke only a couple of words to, yet something about her had him hoping, wishing that he'd meet her again. Fate was something he'd never believed in but that café on the corner changed his mind about that.

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**Prologue**

I just lay there, struggling for breath, trying to hold in the pain that was ripping through my body. My lungs, my ribs, my face, all ached, all bruised. My heart was the one thing I didn't think would survive. The bruise there was permanent. Holding in the agonising pain that rippled through my muscles as I tried to get up, I held back the panic that threatened to rip through me as I cried out for her,

"Mallory!" A twist of a knife to my heart knowing there would be no reply, "Mallory! Fuck! Please!"

A muscle gave way and I fell on my front, my eyes too heavy to look up to the still open door, the frame damaged from its forced entry. Everything began to replay in my head but this time I couldn't try to stop it, I couldn't try to change what happened. It was set in stone as the ghosts of the people who had taken her from me raced through my mind.

"Bring her back . . ." I gasped, hopelessly fighting back tears, "Please, bring her back . . ."

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**So...?**

**Whatcha think? **

**Got to say that Tumblr and youtube have been my inspirations for this little fic. Especially a certain song, Don't let me go by Barcelona. Give it a listen and then reread this with it playing. **

**Hope to see you guys soon. My spare time is piling up so hopefully a lengthy chapter one will be up soon.**

**Love you guys. **

**Nic x**


	2. Eyes Laid on a Smokey Screen

**Hello!**

**Okay, so soon meant like a month but seriously, you do not know how much coursework was piled on me like a few days after I posted the prologue. That free time I talked about? Didn't happen. My bedroom has been my home for like three weeks and I apologise immensely for making you wait but here it is, finally!**

**I'd like to thank all my friends in a certain group for planting the idea in my head about writing a Tyler/Mallory fic. I'd like to thank Favnia on Tumblr for her amazing manips of Tyler and Mallory. **

**Right just to make things clear this will be my first third person story, mainly because I don't want to just give you one perspective of the story I want to be able to give you both sides, Mallory and Tyler's thoughts at the same time so I figured third person was my best bet. I didn't really want to set it in any specific time period other than the fact that it isn't 2001. For those of you going 'please, don't kill him off.' Believe me, I wouldn't do that. If you want a specific year for this chapter then I'd probably say 2012.**

**Tyler is 25 in this chapter. Mallory (I'm making her older than what she is in the film) would therefore be 23. Caroline is 14. I don't know how old everyone else is supposed to be or is going to be. If I'm honest I might just slip in a few extra characters for fillers from twilight, probably some of the guys, cause I feel like the way I'm going to write this will need more characters than what just these two films give me so a mini twilight crossover might be made ;) Hope you don't mind.**

**Well, this is probably my longest A/N but I hope everything you need to know is there. If not just message me, I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you have.**

**Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 1: Eyes Laid On a Smokey Screen

Despite it being June in New York City, and that the weather had been enticing and sultry the day before, the rain now pelted the now dark concrete of New York's sidewalks. The cars in the streets were slick with the heavy summer rain as it slid down the smooth painted metal, onto the windscreen only to be thrown from the glass as the thin strips of rubber and plastic swept across the glass hurriedly, trying to keep its driver's vision clear. Yellow cabs were being hailed down twice as many times this morning. Pedestrians deciding that a five block walk was long in the drenching rain.

A middle aged man gave up his cab for a young woman just as a young couple ran for shelter in a nearby department store. People who wouldn't have been seen running in public were suddenly sprinting through the rain for cover or an empty passing cab. Cab drivers were waiting as patiently as they could for the day to be over, for their shift to be done so they could go home and admire the frantic behaviour of the habitants of New York from the confines of their homes.

One woman had decided to go out for her morning jog, sprinting through Central Park her light raincoat pulled tight around her body and face to keep her from getting too wet. The park was empty except for a few. She enjoyed the peace, slowing her pace as she reached the exit to where she'd then have to jog down the streets to her home. She turned a corner, passing cab after cab in the road. She almost ran into a young man who was standing on the side of the road, shivering, holding his coat over his head.

Tyler knew that putting his coat on would probably keep him warmer. _But not drier_, he thought. And dry was what he wanted to be. His messy dark golden brown hair was already damp from the rain, having had to make a break for it two blocks down to try to get to this spot on time. He moved his arm carefully to check the cheap watch on his wrist, mentally sighing in relief as he realised he had been five minutes early. His little sister had made it safely to school and he wasn't going to be late for his pick-up.

He saw the sleek black stretch of the car before the driver had probably seen him. Amongst the cabs it wasn't hard to not notice, Tyler noted as the water covered black car made its way down the block amongst a sea of bright yellow cabs. Tyler stepped out a little more, hoping to be noticed but gave up when the cars all came to a standstill. With a sigh and a shake of his head, Tyler stepped into the road and dodged between the cabs towards that black car which held that piece of dread which was flickering in his mind.

He didn't bother knocking on the door, he just opened it and threw himself in as quick as possible to get out of the rain. Charles appraised his son with a disapproving shake of his head, before quickly looking back down to the papers that were in his lap, looking over Tyler's recent police charges. With a shake of his jacket and his hair, Tyler turned to face his father, giving him a weak smile as his father glanced up then down again.

"I managed to get the charges dropped again." Charles told Tyler, his disappointment not hidden in his dull tone.

"How much do I owe you?" Tyler asked, fed up with being in his father's presence already. His relationship with his father was something he wished would be better, but knew that it couldn't be.

"Forget the money, just stay out of trouble. That's all I'll ask." He didn't look up to meet Tyler's blue eyes which were so much like his own.

Tyler sighed and ran an irritated hand down his face. This is what it had resorted to. His own father couldn't even look at him. His disdain towards his father came from his blatant lack of interest in Caroline's life. She was eleven years old and yet his father didn't make any effort in his youngest child's life. That and he always felt that since Michael had died that he had been blamed for that somehow.

"Fine, can you drop me off here?" Tyler requested, looking out onto the rain ridden streets, the puddles beginning to overflow on the sidewalk. He didn't need this today. He didn't want this today. He just wanted to get to work and try and forget about everything that was haunting him.

Charles sighed, annoyed, his lips curling up in disgust as he spoke, "Is this about that _stripper_?"

Tyler felt his whole body tense at just the mention of her. His back straightened and his fists clenched. He felt a roll of something just curl up and then unravel rapidly throughout his body as his chest tightened. Smokey green eyes lined heavily with black eyeliner flashed in his mind and his head tilted down as if bringing himself together physically would hold in the pain and the tearing which ran through him.

"Leave it." Tyler growled, but his throat cut him off at the end as he choked back the intense, shattering momentum which caused his entire body to ache.

"Tyler . . ." He could hear the warning in his father's voice but he chose to ignore it. He didn't even know her. He just knew her as the half-naked girl he'd stumbled upon in his son's apartment. He had been too quick to judge when she had mumbled that she worked in a strip club as Charles interrogated her presence in the apartment.

"I said . . . Leave it." Tyler growled again and this time his voice held firm. His fists had now become visible to his father and Charles stiffened in his seat, wondering if Tyler's anger issues were about to be tested.

"Fine." Charles settled, his voice still firm but softer at his son's noticeable upset.

The car came to a halt and Tyler rushed to get the door open, ignoring his father's plea to just stay for a little longer. Tyler threw his jacket over his head and sprinted to the sidewalk, briskly continuing down the sidewalk to the library.

Passer-by's bumped into each other and pleasantly apologised as they all made their way to work. Umbrella's cluttered the air and from above all that could be seen were circular shapes of different colours, bobbing and moving past each other as the rain continued to pour down in New York City. Hems of trousers sported a darker and damper trim as the rain seeped up the bottoms of people's work attire, women's legs getting chilled through their tights as the wind gusted down the street suddenly, causing umbrella's to tilt forward and backwards to protect their owners.

Tyler struggled through the crowd, holding his jacked as close to his head as possible in order not to get drenched from the never ending rain that had presented itself. Tyler tried to shake off the sick, paralysing feeling that still shuddered through him at the mention of her.

"_I never thought someone would actually care about me. I've been shunted to one side for so long and now . . . you showed me that love does exist."_ Green eyes under black eyelashes, pink lips shifted to one side in a nervous smile as she messed with her yet again.

Tyler pushed her from his mind yet again, trying to ignore how much it still hurt to think about her. It had been two years and six months since he'd last seen her and everyday had felt like a never ending struggle to try to forget about her.

_As if that was even possible_, he scoffed as he pulled his jacket up higher over his head.

His day at work seemed to go by at a slow, dripping pace. The tick of the clock in the library just caused a constant ache in Tyler's mind as he counted how long was left until he could go home. Books were stacked and books were scanned. Aidan even turned up to see his friend at work, only to have to watch him wander around, rearranging shelves with a constant look of distress etched into his young face.

Aidan had found him that day. He'd never seen anyone so broken, so helpless. He had always tried to make a joke out of everything but he couldn't find it in him to even try. He had never been good at comforting anyone and so when Tyler had gripped onto him Aidan froze in shock, patting him on the back as Tyler just sat there, staring blankly ahead as if waiting for something to appear to him.

Tyler sighed bleakly as he noted the time, heading into the staff room to grab his belongings and sign out for the day. He just wanted to sleep. He just wanted to put his head down on a pillow, feel his body mould to his mattress as the ache behind his eyes was suddenly eased with the prospect of a peaceful slumber. But no slumber of Tyler's was ever peaceful. It was just filled with painful memories of her. Her voice. Her eyes. Her lips. Her smile. Her hair. That soft giggle that had escaped her lips as he'd tickled her on the couch that one evening after cooking dinner for her. All the things that he wanted to forget plagued him whenever his eyes closed.

The walk back home was a lot drier. The rain had let up and Tyler made his way down the streets, block after block, not really paying attention to who he had passed or anything concerning his surroundings. He just wanted to try and sleep and forget, hoping that when he woke up next his heart would feel a little lighter. That day had yet to come.

As he entered his building he came across a young woman bickering with the landlord. A new neighbour no doubt. Probably complaining about the state of the apartment or the rent. They were pretty drab. He dragged his feet up the stairs and pushed open the door to the apartment, reminding himself again to get the deadbolt fixed before they got robbed. Aidan wouldn't appreciate that. Not that he'd been around much. He practically lived with his girlfriend.

He trudged through the apartment his feet guiding him towards his only haven; his bed. His shoes were kicked off haphazardly as he collapsed on his back onto the soft mattress, his head finding the plush pillow which immediately cradled his heavy head. His eyes fluttered closed and he sighed deeply, not even making a mental thought about how he'd like to feel when he awoke.

_Bang! _

The sound of the front door being slammed open, or even just pushed a little too firmly, awoke Tyler from his plaguing dreams. He blinked for a second or two before pushing himself up into a sitting position, hoping Aidan had a good explanation for his loud and rude entrance. He dragged himself off of the bed and started his way back through the apartment to the front door, rubbing his face and his stubble with a grunt, a yawn slipped through his lips as he made it to the living room.

"Aidan, why the fuck are you making so much noise?" Tyler groaned, rubbing his eyes again as he stepped into view of the living room only to stop dead in his tracks.

Wide eyes caught his own, that smoky green colour that had tormented him for two years. Those plush almost lined pink lips parted slightly in shock. He took her in barely managing to ascertain that this was in fact reality and not a dream. But Tyler knew that it was too good to be true. She couldn't be here, he'd almost started to believe she was a creation of his imagination. Something he'd made up.

That heavy ache came back in force but now it felt softer, intense but gently thudding around his body, through his veins as he looked at her. His eyes flickering from her face to her apparel to her lips, eyes, nose, hair. Those soft tresses which fell to her chest in gentle waves, that odd chestnut brown colour which had always caught his eye, nothing had changed. She looked older, freer and if Tyler admitted it to himself she looked happier.

She was clutching his bike which was usually hung up near the door and it dawned on Tyler that it wasn't the door which had woken him but the bike clattering to the floor. She smiled sheepishly and leaned it carefully against the wall, brushing her hands down her pencil skirt as she did. She stood up straight, adjusted her blouse and then looked back to Tyler who hadn't moved an inch.

_He looks so different_, she thought as she raked her eyes across him quickly, not wanting to be caught staring.

"You're really here?" Tyler gasped after what seemed like years. Blinking furiously he stepped hesitantly towards her until he was right in front of her, forcing her to crane her neck to look at him.

She reached out timidly, her manicured fingernails just scratching his grey t-shirt. She still didn't know if her presence was appreciated, not knowing bothered her but she channelled the person she had been three years ago, who wouldn't have hesitated to touch the man she loved. Her hand lay flat on his chest and she felt Tyler stiffen underneath her hand.

"I'm really here." She whispered back just as Tyler reached his hand to touch her cheek causing her skin to burn. She hadn't forgotten what it felt like to have him touch her, it had just been too long since he had. She remembered the last time she'd seen him and winced internally at the memory, remembering how helpless she'd been to help him.

Feeling her eyes brim with tears she grabbed his waist and pulled him to her, her arms wrapping around him as his hands found their solace on her cheek and back. He gripped her tightly as she reinforced her grip on him, trying to convey to him how much she had missed him. How much she wished she could have stayed with him.

"Mallory . . ." He sighed deeply into her hair, causing goose bumps to raise up on the back of her neck.

"I'm really here. . ." She whispered into his chest, her hands holding onto him as tight as they could.

Tyler still couldn't believe that this wasn't a dream as he placed his lips on her head. It felt like it had been an eternity since he'd last held her. But holding her now felt like it had only been yesterday when he'd first laid eyes on her.

**So?**

**This is the first chapter which is set in 2012, all the chapters from now until probably one from the end will be set in 2010. **

**I bet you guys are wondering what separated them right? Well you'll just have to wait and see ;)**

**I would love it if you guys could** review** or even pass this on to a friend who you know would like this? I know there's plenty of Tyllory shippers out there. Don't hide! I see you! ;)**

**Next chapter will be up in about two weeks, hopfully. Fingers crossed :)**

**This chapter was quite short but that's just because of the content, there was nothing else to prolong it. I didn't want to dig into every single aspect of his day because it was really just to show how he's been struggling.**

**Thank you!**

**Nic x**


	3. Monotony

**Helloooo!**

**I'm glad that this is actually getting views, I've been checking my traffic stats regularly and I'm really pleased! **

**Sorry that it's been a whole month, I was only hoping to take two weeks but coursework deadlines decided to emerge. **

**I'm really appreciative to Robsten96 for reviewing so far. You're keeping me going :)**

**Well here is the official beginning of my Mallory and Tyler fanfic.**

**Read this in 3/4 or 1/2 it makes it easier to read :)**

**Enjoy!**

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2. Monotony

The shrill beep of an alarm awoke most of New York City as soon as the clocks hit seven o'clock. Groans of annoyance and yawns full of the aching tiredness the residents held ran across the City as many stumbled from bed to get ready for the day. The weather didn't help coax people out of the comfort of the soft sheets and the plush pillows. For some it just settled them further into their sleepy haze. A soft snowfall wasn't something everybody enjoyed and as one woman pulled back her curtains to admire the falling snow, a certain young man groaned at the sight and rolled back over in his bed only to come face to face with another drunken nights decision.

"Shit!" Tyler hissed as he came face to face with a sleeping blonde, makeup smudged, hair no longer curly like it had been at the bar and she wasn't as attractive as he'd first thought.

With a small groan he rolled onto his back and ran a hand down his tired face, his head thumping from the amount of alcohol he consumed the night before. He was going to kill Aidan when he saw him. Almost as if he had heard Tyler's internal threat, Aidan slipped out of the apartment and headed to work, trying to be quiet as he closed the door.

A quick glance to the digital clock next to the bed told Tyler that it was nearly quarter past seven, he didn't have work but he didn't feel like hanging around to see what would happen when the blonde woke. He couldn't even remember her name and that was a first for Tyler, he felt guilty immediately. That wasn't him; he usually had the courtesy to ask for a girl's name first.

Tyler was then reminded of how much alcohol he'd actually consumed the night before. His head spun and his stomach heaved as Tyler recognised the foul taste in his mouth. He ripped the sheets away from his body and ran for the bathroom, skidding onto his knees in front of the toilet to start heaving his guts out. This wasn't how he wanted to start the day.

Despite the fact he knew he shouldn't, Tyler dressed quickly and tiptoed out of the apartment, making sure to not make any sound, just in case she woke up. He wandered down the streets, pulling his jacket closer around him as the cold winds blew and snow circled around his face, sticking to his messy golden brown hair that looked dull with the lack of sunshine in the air.

The cold froze his face, numbed his fingers and made his ears throb but Tyler didn't stop. He didn't stop walking until he made it downtown and to that café on the corner. Courtney smiled at him as he entered and went about making his regular order. He took his normal seat, the booth just away from the corner and sat down with a grunt and a heavy sigh. It was as if the cold had added to the heavy weight that he carried already. Rubbing his hands furiously over his face he realised how pathetic he was becoming.

Michael had been gone so long yet nothing seemed to have changed for Tyler. His grief had never left him, it was like a constant shadow, even when the sun hit him it never moved away, even when there was no light for a shadow that heavy ache still followed him. He'd drunk himself stupid night after night, with girl after girl trying to distract himself but now, now he was actually sick of it. Sick of the constant monotonous tone his life had taken on.

"Here's your coffee, Tyler." Courtney slid the cup carefully onto the table before sitting down across from him, her hazel eyes watching him carefully, "Bad day?"

With a scoff Tyler sipped on the boiling rich liquid, wincing at the bitter taste as it passed over his tongue, "When isn't it a bad day?"

Courtney had seen him come in and out of the café every single day without fail, looking completely broken and just exhausted. She had never questioned him as to why he was the way her was but every now and then when she made a joke, causing a smile to crack on his lips, she saw a man who had lived through more than he should have at his age but was hiding the happy, carefree man he used to be. A ghost of his old self.

"Richard's taking me out to dinner tonight, but you know if you want to talk I'm in here all day." She told him, fighting the urge to comfort him, "You have my number as well, right?"

He nodded and suddenly felt guilty for having to put Courtney through his sullen moods every single day. That and the fact that she had only ever been nice to him, no pushy waitress trying to uncover his secrets but a kind one, someone who would listen if asked. If not, she'd leave you to your thoughts, because sometimes having someone near you, but not having to force a conversation was the best kind of medicine.

Courtney slid out of the booth, wandering back behind the counter to serve a waiting customer, but her eyes never stopped flickering over to where Tyler was seated. She worried about him more than she let on but that was just Courtney, she cared about every single person in that café. Even the young girls who wandered in at twelve and one o'clock at night, going home after working at the strip club all night. She didn't care what they did, she just hoped they were looking after themselves.

Tyler stared down at the table, his hands curled up into fists as he tightened his jaw. He was so fucking damaged it wasn't fair. He wanted more, he knew he deserved more than this but then there was that tiny voice at the back of his head, his father's voice, reminding him that even if it wasn't technically his fault, his father blamed him for Michael's suicide.

After pretty much downing his coffee, he stood, his back hunched slightly and left quicker than usual, not even bothering to say goodbye to Courtney who looked up expectantly from the counter only to see his figure disappear through the door.

As the snow fell Tyler hurried home, not even giving a thought to the fact that his one night stand might still be there. He just wanted to be close to Michael. Most of Michael's things resided in Tyler's apartment, from t-shirts to books to little trinkets and then there was Michael's guitar. Tyler had that hanging on the wall. It was the only thing in the apartment he cleaned regularly.

He hadn't realised he'd taken the longest route home until he was passing people just hanging around drinking beer at eleven in the morning. He'd only been around here when Aidan had dragged him out to the various clubs in this area. As he turned down an alley way to cut back towards home he heard the loud bass from a club and winced as he felt the vibrations deep in his chest. His feet picked up their pace as Tyler shivered from the cold.

The people outside of the club didn't mind the drumming bass coming from the club, they were used to it, they were regulars. A blond man pushed himself off of the brick wall of the alley, threw his beer bottle on the floor, hearing it tinker on the concrete before he adjusted his leather jacket, heading back inside.

It was deafening inside the club, the bass almost encompassing any sort of sound made in the club, not that what anyone was saying to each other was interesting, and a lot of it was cheers for the dancers. Or strippers. Girls of differing ages all dancing on the counters, clothing that barely covered them as they tried to get someone interested. They were in this for the money, they had no other choice.

The blond haired man had his eyes on one dancer in particular, she couldn't have been more than twenty, thin, messy light chestnut hair with black underneath, heavily rimmed eyes. She was perfect. He just needed to get her attention. He sauntered towards the counter she was dancing on, her hands gripped around the silver pole to the side of her as she swung around in a circle, careful not to kick anyone in the face with her white platform heels.

Just as he made it to the counter the song stopped and she clambered down the other side of the counter, striding down to a door at the end before she disappeared. He cursed but shrugged it off. He'd find somebody else.

She trudged into the back room, cursing as the balls of her feet throbbed in pain. The stuff she went through just for the measly pay she got. That was if she didn't have a one on one customer and unfortunately she hadn't this shift. _Maybe tonight_, she thought as she kicked off her heels and pushed the barely there skirt down her legs.

"You working tonight, Mallory?" Called a bleach blonde girl from the other side of the room, who had just slipped on a tight white tank top on, ruffling her hair out.

"Yeah, double again." Mallory sighed, shrugging on her baggy jeans, adjusting the thin belt so they stayed on her hips, "Apparently Heather's sick again."

Blonde girl scoffed as Mallory smirked, "What you really mean to say is, she wasn't careful? Again?"

Mallory nodded, "You'd think she'd learn."

"Well, I don't know what she's going to do now?" The other girl muttered as she pulled on her skinny black jeans, "She's already got one kid to look after, how she going to look after two and work?"

A dark haired woman poked her head round the door just at that moment, her eyes scanning the room before they landed on the girl with the blonde hair.

"Amber!" She called over the loud music coming in from the open door, "Boss wants to see you."

Amber nodded, adjusting her jeans before she sighed deeply, "Better go see what the bastard wants this time, eh?" Mallory's answering smile was fake; they both knew what he wanted, "See you later, Mallory."

"See you," She muttered as she discarded the strips of fabric on her chest, replacing it with a soft baggy t-shirt. She couldn't wait to get home and sleep for a bit, if she was even allowed to sleep.

Mallory took the side exit of the club to get home, she always did. She didn't want to get caught by all the guys she had just danced for, she wasn't working now. Yeah, from time to time she had taken them up on their offers and gone back to their place or a motel, for a price of course. But she had been working since midnight, all she wanted was to sleep and recover enough for her next shift.

So as Mallory wandered downtown, hugging her army green jacket around her thin body she let her mind drift. Just like the snow which swirled around in her face, her mind swirled on its own, looking at her life and wondering how and when it would get better. The cold numbed her fingers like her brain was numbed, she hated her job sometimes. The late hours were what killed her the most, but she loved to dance, even if it was only one aspect of her job.

A smile crept across her chapped lips as she remembered a blurry image of her and her mother. She had been so young, yet Mallory's brain clinged to this memory, the only one she could see almost clearly of her mother. Her green eyes met with her mother's blue as she was carried to bed, Mallory's body had been limp with exhaustion as he mother slipped her into her crib. Her mother's soft voice rang in her ears as her head had made contact with the pillow, her eyes zoning in on the painted picture of a ballerina on the ceiling,

"_Sleep well, my little ballerina."_

Her mother had loved to dance; she remembered being carried around the apartment to classical music, her mother humming softly in her ear when she was young. She'd been allowed to keep some of her mother's possessions when she died. A small trinket box with a generic pop up ballerina and tinkling music to accompany it, it was on her bed side table in her apartment now. She also had two pictures of her mother, one of her dresses and the gold chain with the tiny diamond.

When she'd been placed in the foster home she hadn't been there long. A brown haired green eyed four year old girl was something which couldn't be resisted. The family that had picked her to take home were kind and generous and spoiled her because they couldn't have children of their own. Or so they thought. She'd been with them for four years, they'd paid for her ballet lessons and cared for her like she was their own. They'd even discussed adopting her permanently. Then her foster mother found out she was pregnant.

She ended right back where she started but ended up being stuck in the foster home for a whole year before another family decided to foster her. Unfortunately her next family were nowhere near as picture perfect as they seemed. They argued nonstop and took it out on her all of the time. Whenever her social worker came to visit they were suddenly a perfect family again. It was like this for five years.

At fourteen she couldn't take it anymore, she'd just started high school but living with her foster parents was slowly killing her. Now that she was older her foster father had decided beating her wasn't a bad thing to do. She was constantly limping from the bruises, he never hit her face, to make sure that no one found out but she was sure people had their suspicions.

When she turned fifteen she decided she wanted to buy herself some new clothes and so on her birthday she asked for some money. Her foster father had lashed out, calling her ungrateful and other foul words before beating her to a pulp. This time her face hadn't gone untouched.

As soon as she had been left alone in the house she grabbed her biggest bag and stuffed it with as many of her clothes as she could find. She knew where their secret stash was and grabbed a few hundred dollars before running out of the house and out of sight.

And here she was, at twenty one, working in the same strip club she'd been at for four years. She'd worked in other facilities close to this one before she was eighteen, peep shows and other clubs of a more demeaning nature. She'd been scared at first. At sixteen she'd been terrified to step onto the stage and take off her clothes, but Jayne had bent over backwards to get her the job and she needed the money. So she did what she needed to do.

Mallory pushed open her apartment door to find Doug asleep on the couch. He'd stumbled into the club two years ago, his marriage of twenty five years on the rocks with no hope of recovery. She doesn't know if he took pity on her for being so young and doing what she did for a living or if he was just genuinely a caring person. Either way he'd been paying to stay in her apartment for two years. It looked better than what it had but money for food and other essentials was still thin, especially with the amount of new girls at the club.

"Doug!" She called, causing the man to grunt and grumble in protest. She didn't need this right now; he was supposed to be at work, so he could pay her for spending another week in her apartment. She needed the fucking money.

"Doug! Get the fuck up!" She shouted, shoving his large body violently as he grunted again.

She growled in frustration but gave up, storming into her room to dump her bag. She wasn't going to be able to pay the bills at this rate. If Doug didn't get his act together they were both going to end up on the street. Snatching up the stale glass of water in the kitchen she charged back into the living room, before throwing it all over his face.

He shot up, coughing and cursing, wondering why the hell she had to wake him. He was exhausted, hung over and in dire need of a couple more hours of sleep. He wasn't expecting her back yet, it was too early.

"Why the fuck aren't you at work?" Mallory demanded as she slammed the glass onto the coffee table.

Doug wiped at his face and mumbled, "Because I'm hung over, that's why." But Mallory didn't hear him.

Shoving him back against the couch she shouted, "What's that? I can't hear you?"

"I'm hung over, alright?" He shouted back but she was having none of it.

"Get the fuck to work or we're both going to end up on the street." Her serious tone hit Doug hard and he clambered up, kicking over a beer can in the process.

She didn't want to be dealing with this, her job was enough to worry about, and she didn't need to start looking after him now. It wasn't something they could afford to do. Mallory swore under her breath when she took in a whiff of the alcohol coming from Doug.

She wrinkled her nose in disgust, "And take a fucking shower before you go anywhere."

With that she stormed back to her room, slamming the door shut before stripping down to nothing and clambering into bed, hugging the thin sheet tightly around her body. Her eyes fell onto the music box next to her bed and she sighed, her eyes wandering to the falling snow outside.

The way it swirled and clung to your body was something she didn't like, it stung your skin and melted in your hair. Nobody liked it. People walking along the streets would pull their hats down tighter or adjust their hoods around their faces to avoid the mayhem the snow played on their warm skin.

Tyler, however, didn't have a hat, or a hood and he shivered as he trudged the last few steps to his apartment building. Shaking his hair out to rid it of snow he stomped his feet on the carpet before heading up the stairs. Aidan still wasn't back when he got into the apartment, but the girl was gone. Tyler felt relief was through his body as he realised he didn't have to deal with her. He was a coward but today he didn't need it.

The date on the calendar told him why he'd drunk so much last night and why he'd been so short with Courtney this morning. It was the anniversary of Michael's death and he was supposed to be at the cemetery today, with his mother and father and sister. But he didn't want to have to put a brave face on and pretend he was getting on just fine. He didn't want to have to exchange pleasantries with a man who looked at him as though he'd taken Michael's life with his own hands. He didn't want any of that. He just wanted to get through the day in his own way.

He slumped onto the couch, kicking off his shoes before resting his head back, revelling in how content his body felt in that position. The way the pillows melded to his body, forming a cushy resting place for the tired young man. This was what it was like nearly every single day. He'd go out, get coffee, go to work if he was called, come home, go out with Aidan, get drunk, find a girl and forget that the past four years had happened. He could almost feel his father's disappointed eyes burning into him as he drifted to sleep. A daily nightmare.

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**Hope you liked it!**

**Review please! Let me know what you think!**

**BSwan.N x**


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